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Drinker banned from McDonald's in Blake Street

YORK magistrates have barred a drinker from a city-centre fast food outlet where he assaulted another customer.

Defence solicitor Richard Minion told them all the customers at McDonald’s Blake Street branch at 2am on Wednesday July 3, were drunk.

Kathryn Reeves, prosecuting, said Luke Terry Sullivan, 20, was arguing and swearing with door staff and pushed one of the staff in the chest.

Another customer, who was waiting to be served, turned away and Sullivan hit his head from behind, leaving a lump and a throbbing sensation.

Last year, the restaurant defeated a City of York Council bid to stop it opening 24 hours a day after residents complained of antisocial behaviour by its customers.

Earlier this month John Atherton, who has held the franchise for three months, announced he was reducing security before midnight because incidents during the evening had reduced.

Security staff will continue to work from midnight to 5am on Wednesdays to Sundays.

Magistrates barred Sullivan from the Blake Street fast-food restaurant completely for three months and confined him to his home in Hawthorn Terrace, New Earswick, between 8pm and 6am every night under a four-week curfew.

They also ordered him to pay £75 compensation to his victim, £60 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs. Sullivan pleaded guilty to assault.

Ms Reeves said Sullivan appeared to be drunk when he was in the restaurant and that he had a previous conviction for causing actual bodily harm.

Mr Minion said a third customer was shoving and shouting and seemed to be looking for a fight.

“It was 2am, everyone in there was drunk, people were sword fighting with plastic straws,” he said.

Sullivan tried to ignore the third customer, Mr Minion said, but trouble flared between them and in self defence Sullivan hit out, missed him and hit another man instead. He didn’t remember the incident.

The magistrates saw CCTV footage of events in the restaurant before sentencing. The assault itself was not captured on film.